I had the chance to take in a great show at the Commodore a few weeks back, a double headlining show featuring two fantastic Atlanta-based bands: Deerhunter and The Black Lips. Having seen Deerhunter late last year, I knew what to expect and they didn't disapoint, playing a good mix of songs from their various full lengths as well as the title track from their new EP, "Rainwater Cassette Exchange." This time around they had a really cool lighting scheme that matched their set really well and added a lot of ambience that I definitely dug. I had never seen the Black Lips before but their reputation for putting on an entertaining bordering on out of control live set is infamous. Nothing that I saw was *too* crazy that evening but it was definitely like one giant party when they took the stage playing a variety of tracks including a good number off their stellar record from earlier this year, "200 Million Thousand." Although I enjoyed both, seeing Deerhunter for the second time was definitely the highlight for me. Check out their opening number, "Cryptograms" off their 2007 album of the same name.
The following night I managed to take in another stellar performance by probably my favourite new band of 2009, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (a somewhat polarizing name from what I've seen online although I lean to the "like" side of the fence). They played the Biltmore Cabaret, their first time here in Vancouver and people came out and supported them to the fullest, a good sized crowd who were *really* into what they saw (myself included). They played a good mix of songs, ranging from their self-titled EP to their self-titled full length and even a few new ones off an EP due out this fall titled "Higher Than Stars." Seriously a great band who're putting a nice fresh touch on an old sound (80s Noise Pop), you owe it to yourself to check out their full length and if you get the opportunity to catch them live if they roll through your town, do so.
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - "Come Saturday" (credit: thepainsofbeingpureatheart.com)
I've noticed as of late that I haven't found myself enamored with nearly enough metal. I mean there have been some good records put out this year by the likes of Mastodon, Big Business and Isis but nothing that's really captivated me completely. I can't be certain, but I have a strong feeling that'll change on October 13th when Relapse releases Baroness' new album entitled "Blue Record." Having put out what many thought to be the best metal album of '07, "Red Album", Savannah, Georgia's Baroness play sludgey yet catchy metal with a southern rock undertone. They recently posted some new tracks from the upcoming record on their myspace and they're just as amazing as their past releases.
Another highly anticipated 2009 release for me is from Allentown, Pennsylvania's favourite sons, Pissed Jeans. A totally unique group in today's punk landscape bringing back a vibe reminiscent of Black Flag and the Jesus Lizard, Pissed Jeans match a groove-laden rhythm section with distortion heavy guitar work and howling vocals. Their new album, entitled "King of Jeans" is their second on super-indie label, Sub Pop and is due out next Tuesday but luckily enough for me, Sub Pop released a song off of it as a teaser a while back and I've since found a leak of the entire record. Upon first listen, it's not my favourite album of theirs but it still has some real gems on it, including the lead off song that was made available on Sub Pop's site, entitled "False Jesii Part 2".
Pissed Jeans - "False Jesii Part 2" (credit: subpop.com)
Wrapping things up, the last time I made a post, I outlined the details of my failed attempt to write an article about Destroyer. No real news on that front, but there has been a subsequent breakthrough when it comes to the releasing of new Destroyer material, in the form of a new song from a vinyl only 12" EP titled "Bay of Pigs" (which I spoke of previously). A track review accompanied by an embedded player of the song itself was posted on Pitchfork this week and it's a thing to behold. 13+ minutes of Destroyer at its best, I'm not even going to bother going into details... just take the time to give it a listen, as well as read the accompanying review, as it's well worth it.
Destroyer - "Bay of Pigs" (credit: pitchfork.com)
Your posts are always so long yet entertainingly informative. I thought The Pains of Being Pure at Heart show ruled! They inspired me to make music with white boys.
ReplyDeleteThat show *did* rule! It inspired me to make music with asian girls.
ReplyDelete